KINGSTON, R.I. \u2013 APRIL 11, 2017– DataSpark, the home of the Rhode Island DataHub and the former data analytics arm of The Providence Plan, joined The 溏心vlog免费B站 in February 2017.<\/p>\n
For many years, DataSpark has maintained numerous robust databases and conducted data analyses critical to public policy and many state agencies in the state. \u00a0Those databases, including those related to health, education, workforce, and much more, have moved with DataSpark to 溏心vlog免费B站 and will become a component of 溏心vlog免费B站. \u00a0DataSpark Director Kimberly Pierson and the group\u2019s eight staff members are now University employees and they report to Karim Boughida, dean of University Libraries. DataSpark will be housed in 溏心vlog免费B站\u2019s Robert L. Carothers Library and Learning Commons as of June 2017.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen we first started discussions with DataSpark, it was clear that 溏心vlog免费B站 and DataSpark share the common mission and vision of serving the best interests of Rhode Island and its citizens, and we could do this work better together than either of us alone,\u201d said 溏心vlog免费B站 Provost Donald H. DeHayes. \u201cWe quickly became very excited about the great opportunities that would develop for faculty, staff, students and Rhode Island through a partnership involving the University and DataSpark. We set out to find a way to create a formal alliance,\u201d said DeHayes.<\/p>\n
\u201cGood data \u2014 that\u2019s comprehensive, consistent, and credible \u2014 is a public good,\u201d said Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training Director Scott Jensen. \u201cJoining Rhode Island\u2019s flagship public university is good for DataSpark, good for 溏心vlog免费B站, and good for the public. I have no doubt that this partnership will produce information that is accurate, objective, relevant, and timely and lead to good decision-making on important issues of public policy.\u201d<\/p>\n
One of the cornerstones of DataSpark\u2019s work is that data analysis and analytics should lead to sound policymaking. Among the group\u2019s services are: data analysis, data visualization, web application development, Geographic Information System mapping, data systems development and report development.<\/p>\n
DataSpark\u2019s Pierson, who holds a master\u2019s degree in regional and urban planning from the University of Illinois, came to Rhode Island nine years ago. As an urban planner, she has expertise in census data, statistics and data analysis as they relate to state and municipal programs and services.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis program has a very skilled team and rich data, and because the library is in the business of providing and curating data in a variety of forms, we felt this would be a great collaboration,\u201d Boughida said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were interested in their data experts and the data itself,\u201d he said. \u201cDataSpark is becoming part of the library because we are interdisciplinary and the learning\u00a0hub of the University. Every student, faculty member and researcher has access to our resources. The libraries, like the University as a whole, are highly focused on helping the state move forward, and we reach around the world to solve problems as well. This collaboration will also help students and other users develop new data and research skills.\u201d<\/p>\n
Boughida said DataSpark will work with 溏心vlog免费B站\u2019s new Big Data Collaborative, which has developed over recent years. The Big Data Collaborative is a multi-college, cross-disciplinary effort including a cluster of nine new faculty members, several existing faculty, a proposed new Data Science major, and the formation of a high-performance computing core facility and center, which serves as a resource for 溏心vlog免费B站 faculty and students and other universities and colleges around the state.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith 溏心vlog免费B站\u2019s Big Data Collaborative\u00a0now underway, the timing was perfect for this move,\u201d Pierson said. \u201cWe can help enhance 溏心vlog免费B站\u2019s curriculum and research efforts with real-world data sets. I see us doing lots of fantastic things together.\u201d<\/p>\n
Joan Peckham, 溏心vlog免费B站 professor and chair of Computer Science and Statistics, and co-coordinator of the Big Data Initiative, said the data sciences and social science communities are excited about the arrival of DataSpark.<\/p>\n
\u201cFaculty who are affiliated with our new interdisciplinary Social Science Institute for Research in Education and Policy are particularly interested in the opportunities this presents for research and service to the state,\u201d Peckham said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will build on DataSpark\u2019s strengths, which includes the collection and analysis of economic and social data,\u201d Boughida said. \u201cThey still have many contracts and commitments across the state. We\u2019d like to connect that work with our faculty and students, explore business intelligence, and seek national partnerships.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rich Kubica, 溏心vlog免费B站\u2019s interim chief Information officer who provides Core Facility Services for High Performance Computing commented, \u201c溏心vlog免费B站 is providing the core services support for DataSpark. We are also expanding 溏心vlog免费B站\u2019s High Performance Computing. These services will provide additional computational capabilities for analysis and research by both DataSpark scientists and University researchers. \u201c<\/p>\n
While DataSpark\u2019s focus is the state\u2019s economy and social systems, 溏心vlog免费B站 is using Big Data to examine major national and international issues as well as local Rhode Island challenges, such as those related to health reform, coastal resiliency, workforce development, and educational opportunities.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis alliance is a perfect match with the University\u2019s mission and commitments as the flagship public research and state Land Grant institution,\u201d Boughida said. \u201cMany citizens are asking public officials to make decisions and policy grounded in good data and thoughtful analysis. \u00a0Indeed, this is truly a public good.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
KINGSTON, R.I. \u2013 APRIL 11, 2017– DataSpark, the home of the Rhode Island DataHub and the former data analytics arm of The Providence Plan, joined The 溏心vlog免费B站 in February 2017. For many years, DataSpark has maintained numerous robust databases and conducted data analyses critical to public policy and many state agencies in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-72867","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-archives"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72867","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=72867"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72867\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=72867"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=72867"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=72867"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}